Feasibility and Outcomes of an HIV Testing Intervention in African American Churches.

The updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy recommends widespread HIV education and testing and calls the faith community to assist in these efforts. Yet, limited information exist on church-based HIV testing interventions. This study examined feasibility and assessed HIV testing outcomes of Taking It to the Pews (TIPS), a multilevel HIV education and testing intervention. Four African American churches were matched and randomized to TIPS or a standard-information control arm. Intervention churches delivered the religiously-tailored TIPS Tool Kit, which included educational materials to individuals and ministry groups; pastoral activities (e.g., sermons preached, receipt of HIV testing role-modeled), responsive readings, and church bulletin inserts in church services; and HIV testing during church services and church outreach events. All churches delivered 2-3 tools/month and coordinated 3 HIV testing events. At 12 months, significant increases in receipt of HIV testing (59% vs. 42%, p = 0.008), and particularly church-based testing (54% vs. 15%, p < 0.001), relative to controls were found. TIPS has great potential to increase reach, feasibility, and impact of HIV testing in African American churches.

Examining church capacity to develop and disseminate a religiously appropriate HIV tool kit with African American churches.

Increasingly, African American churches have been called upon to assist in efforts to address HIV/AIDS in underserved communities. African Americans churches may be well-positioned to provide HIV education, screening, and support services, particularly if they are equipped with church-appropriate, easy-to-deliver HIV tools that can be implemented through the naturalistic church environment. To inform the development of a church-based HIV tool kit, we examined church capacity with African American church leaders (N = 124 participants; n = 58 churches represented by senior pastors). Nearly all participants (96%) wanted to learn more about HIV and how to discuss it with their parishioners. Regarding church capacity, most of their representative churches held three regular services each week, facilitated various inreach and community outreach ministries, and had paid staff and computers. Also, many of their churches facilitated HIV/AIDS education/prevention and adolescent sex education activities. Guided by church capacity findings, an ecological framework, and a CBPR approach, we describe the resulting church-based HIV Tool Kit that "fits" naturalistically within a multilevel church infrastructure, builds upon churches' HIV-related experience, and equips faith leaders to efficiently promote HIV services with the communities they serve.